Vietnam: Prominent journalist arrested for his social media posts

Vietnamese authorities announced on June 7 that journalist and writer Huy Duc had been arrested a week earlier for “abuse of democratic freedoms,” in connection with several critical messages published by the journalist. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the journalist's arrest and calls for his immediate release.

On June 1, Truong Huy San, widely known as Huy Duc, was unable to attend a planned keynote speech at a seminar, sparking concern among his colleagues and supporters. On June 7, the Ministry of Public Security confirmed that Duc, along with lawyer Tran Dinh Trien, had been arrested under Article 331 of Vietnam's Penal Code, which concerns the alleged abuse of “democratic freedoms for harm the interests of the people. State'. Duke could face up to seven years if convicted.

Days before his disappearance, San had published comments by the new ascendant President To Lam and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, questioning the role of police and public security forces in Vietnamese politics and other political developments, and highlighting Lam's role as Minister of Public Security. The journalists' Facebook page was made inaccessible on June 3.

Speaking to the Vietnamese-language service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), an anonymous friend of San claimed that police had searched the journalist's residences in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and that his family had not could contact him.

In April 2022, Ho Chi Minh City journalist Nguyen Hoai Nam was sentenced to more than three years in prison under Article 331 for critical social media posts related to an anti-corruption investigation, while five journalists working for independent media outlet Bao Sach were convicted under Article 331. same provisions in 2021.

San, a veteran journalist for several publications, is a celebrated author and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University from 2012 to 2013. The arrest inspired condemnation from various human rights and media rights groups.

TThe IFJ said:“The IFJ condemns the arrest of journalist and author Truong Huy San and calls on the authorities to withdraw all charges and ensure his immediate release. The media must be free to operate without fear of arrest or legal persecution.